


Diode

by Srarticuno



Category: Assassin's Creed, Prototype (Video Games)
Genre: Drunken sex, M/M, One Night Stand, Takes Place Before Anyone Dies So We're Good, mentions of drug use/abuse, partners in crime, some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-03-21
Packaged: 2018-05-22 13:32:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6081246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Srarticuno/pseuds/Srarticuno
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Time only moves in one direction, no matter how much you wish you could change it. Alex wishes he hadn't gotten infected, and Desmond wishes he hadn't gotten himself caught in a war zone. They're both pretty fucked up, their lives are fucked up, even the way they think is fucked up. But that's what they have to deal with. Maybe one day they'll be able to find some form of normalcy, even if it's a fucked up kind of normal, too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Entwined

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I know. The ultimate irony. I mention Protocreed in the notes of my last fic, and here I am, deep in Protocreed hell. I blame my friends, the peer pressure made me do it. Plus, from what I can tell, there are only about two authors actively writing anything for this AU, so I decided that my people need me and ascended from the depths of hell to give you this.
> 
> To be honest, this is my first attempt at a multi-chapter fic in a long time, so I'm not entirely sure what you can expect from this. I'll try to keep it on a semi-regular schedule, but college is kicking my ass. Just bear in mind that a lot of stuff in the tags is subject to change.
> 
> Also, to clarify, I merged the two games in after Desmond gets the first power cell and Alex gets shot up with parasite goo. I don't want to retell the entirety of both games, so I'll be skipping a bit here and there when nothing different from the main game happens. Hope that works for everyone.

As time went on, Alex lost care for the citizens of Manhattan. The first time he consumed one, he felt an immeasurable agony. She wasn’t ready to die, she had a life, a job, _children…_ And he took it all from her in a single hit, a moment that played through his mind for weeks, just to heal himself for a quick round against Blackwatch. Until that point, he had avoided them, saving his rampage for the ones who deserved it. The infected, the marines, anyone who stood in his way and tried to gun him down. That way, it wasn’t personal. Just business, just war. All of them were prepared to die, laid their lives on the line to end his, and he protected himself. But the citizens… None of them wanted this. None of them were prepared. How could he ever hurt them when he knew what it was like to be afraid of an unknown enemy?

 

Well… To be fair, he doesn’t know that fear anymore. The parasite on his back is more of a nuisance than a constant fear. Ragland will fix this; Alex just has to find patient zero, whoever that is. As long as Dana is safe, he doesn’t care who he has to kill. Infected, human, innocent, guilty, he’ll kill them all and more just to keep her alive.

 

The citizens all seemed like sheep to him, powerless individuals with no sense of direction who mindlessly followed the orders of those who claimed they knew what was best for them. All they ever did was scream and die. No use wasting his time on them when he had more important things to worry about.

 

Alex pushed his way through the crowd of sheep, the fools who should be taking shelter instead of risking infection, making his way to the top of a building to plan an assault on a military base. He’d come back to finish the job later, but right now, he needed a tank. One was parked on the far eastern wall, but the base is practically crawling with viral detectors and UAVs. Great. The usual. With his limited abilities, just getting to the tank, let alone making it out without being detected, will be a huge pain. Even better. Speaking of better, he’d better get mo-

 

Wait. What?

 

There’s… a citizen. An ordinary human, passing through the gate unnoticed. They’re obviously not military, and the white hoodie is incredibly noticeable amidst the splattering of army green patrolling the base. Is this guy insane? Men are carrying assault rifles, grenade launchers, _RPGs,_ and if this idiot has anything on them, it can’t be bigger than a handgun. It’s so bafflingly moronic that Alex can’t help but postpone his own mission to watch.

 

He watches and waits, waits for the mistake that will get the stranger a bullet to the chest, waits for the shouts and screams, but it never comes. Alex finds himself impressed when the figure manages to swipe the key from the commander and sneak inside of the building. Either the military is full of idiots (which they are regardless,) or Alex just found his next meal. It’ll be a quick stop on his way to the tank. Consume this person, gain their incredible sneaking abilities, sprint to the vehicle and get out. Easy.

 

That is… if this guy makes it out alive.

 

Alex had been so absorbed in watching this human, hungrily eyeing them as they head towards the base’s exit, that he didn’t notice the UAV flying dangerously close. If he ran now, he might be able to escape its range, but then he’d lose track of the human. Would destroying it be worthwhile? When the military inevitably opens fire after Alex gives away his position, would they find the human and kill them, too? Too many options, too little chance of success. Dammit! Why now, when he had lost his powers?

 

As if by a cruel trick of the universe against him, a soldier guarding the entrance twisted his head to spot the human in that exact moment. _Shit._ No more time to think. Choose something, and now.

 

Unbeknownst to him, what Alex did next would change both of their lives forever.

 

He shot down the UAV.

 

An audial hell immediately ripped through the military base, sirens from the viral detectors blaring, guns of all sorts raining fire in Alex’s direction. He cursed as he jumped to the other side of the building and changed form. Not good. Now the base is on high alert, _and_ he’s lost sight of the human. So, what now? Search blindly for a target whose face he never saw?

 

Screw the tank. He can find another one on the road. One quick look for the human, and then he’ll be on his way to find that patient. No more wasting time. Alex walks calmly through the streets, slipping seamlessly into the ranks of men who have abandoned their posts to search for him. If only they knew that this army green hid a pitch black secret.

 

Alex paces around the base, about a block out from the outer walls. Still no sign of the bastard. Whatever. The military will catch whoever it is at some point, and then they’ll-

 

Oh. _Fuck._

 

That was completely unexpected. There’s a knife sticking clean through his torso, a hand clamped tight over his mouth. Impressive. Had he been a human, Alex would be dead right now. Unfortunately for his attacker, that just isn’t the case.

 

Normally, anyone who attacks Alex Mercer dies on the spot, but today, the virus was feeling a bit generous. Not to mention that he has a bit of a thing for playing with his food, especially the ones that have eluded him for so long. Without waiting for the attacker to withdraw, Alex reaches behind and grabs them by the neck, uses a bit of his super strength to swing the human over his shoulder and flat onto their back in front of him. He watches with a triumphant smirk as the human gasps and moans from the shock.

 

Just as he thought. The human from the base found him. It’s a male, scarred lips, short brown hair, brown… no, hazel…? Amber, perhaps? Alex decides not to think over the color of his victim’s eyes too much. All that matters is that they will belong to him in mere moments.

 

“Shit,” the human groans, dragging himself to his feet with surprising ease. “You’re the… You’re him.”

 

That voice… Alex doesn’t remember much, but he feels like he’s talked to this man before. Then again, he also feels like he’s driven a tank before Blackwatch started hunting him down. Must be one of the people he consumed. He’ll find out later. Alex transforms back to his normal self as a show of respect, shrugging casually and almost tauntingly. “In the flesh.”

 

He didn’t exactly expect a positive reaction to that, but he also didn’t expect for the human to fling himself at the wall and start climbing like his life depended on it. And damn, for a human, he certainly was athletic. Every new skill Alex sees this human exhibit makes him lust for the taste of his memories, drives hungry tremors through his entire being. This one is special. So unlike the rest, the fools, the weak, the sheep who so desperately need their shepherds.

 

The renewed ache of the parasite on Alex’s back makes him rethink his decision. Without his powers, or at least, the important ones, he is vulnerable. In fact, if the human played his cards right, Alex could die at his hands. Maybe now isn’t the time to consume. He could use all of the allies he can get.

 

Catching up to the human is as simple as sprinting straight up the wall, and Alex hangs there as he takes hold of the human’s wrist. “I want to ask you a favor,” he says, hoping that will assure that this won’t end in bloodshed. It… doesn’t, really. The man stares at Alex like he’s crazy. “Back at the military base,” he clarifies. “I saw what you did.”

 

“How did you…” The human’s eyes flick to the side as a look of befuddlement quickly passes over his features. “Wait. The alarm, that was you?”

 

“Unfortunately,” Alex grumbles, releasing the human’s arm with a sigh. “Would’ve preferred not to have pissed them off right now.”

 

The human seems to relax a bit after that. “Hey, uh…” He scales the rest of the building, and Alex prepares to give chase until the human stops and sits on the edge of the roof. “Thanks. If you hadn’t distracted them, I would’ve been screwed.” The human stretches a bit, sighing as he rolls his shoulders. “So… Yeah. I guess I owe you that favor.”

 

Alex joins him on the roof, eyes scanning the street and the skies for anyone that might come after them. “You probably know me as Zeus,” he begins, “but my name is Alex Mercer. And… I’m dying.” The human’s mouth forms an “O” shape as his response. “Right now, my powers are all gone. Thanks to this,” Alex shows his back and the parasite attached to it, “my entire body is being… neutralized. I can only use enough of my abilities to get by.”

 

“So, what, you want me to find you a doctor?” The human rubs his neck and makes a face. “Or like, special virus pesticide shit?”

 

“Already have a doctor,” Alex grumbles. “He can fix it. But I need a tank.”

 

There’s a moment of silence as the human processes this, and Alex is about to speak again when the other cries out, “you’re going to fucking blow it up with missiles?! Are you _nuts?!”_

 

“No!” Alex clenches his teeth. “There’s not enough time to explain everything. I need to find someone, and I need some armor to make up for what I’m lacking right now.”

 

“Who needs a tank to find somebody…?” The human purses his lips, bending the scar running over them like a bow. “If it’s really that big a deal, I can find ‘em for you. It’s kind of a specialty of mine.”  


 

“No.” It would be great if the human could, but this is a virus’ work. _“I_ need to find him. I need to…” What, say hi? Alex doesn’t want to scare off his new comrade by talking about consuming people just like him. “It’s personal.”

 

“Yeah, I get it.” The human stands and brushes off his pants. “Well, you ready to get this show on the road? I’ve got a delivery to make after this.”

 

“Right.” Alex stands as well, cracking his neck with a tilt of his head. “You’d better make a run for it after we find one. Things get a little dangerous when I’m around.”

 

“Hey, that’s a coincidence,” the human fires back with a smirk, “because shit gets crazy when I’m around, too.” He turns around and lifts his hood. “Name’s Desmond, by the way. Desmond Miles.”


	2. The Price of Knowing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm... so sorry for the direction this chapter took, but I can't rewrite it in a way that works with the rest of the story, oops. You'll see what I mean...

With Desmond’s help, Alex successfully consumed the man who knew where patient zero was being kept. Or, rather… _patients_ zero. The outbreak at Penn Station, the first to be infected… Everyone there died, and their bodies were transferred to a military base. So how is it that Alex himself is still alive? Maybe he just happened to be more compatible with the virus than anyone else. Not like he’ll never know, but it’s something to think about.

 

He’s ready to return to Ragland’s office, he’s out, he’s _alive,_ and yet… Suddenly, it feels like the world is spinning. Why now, when he just got finished taking fucking RPGs to the face? “Ugh… The… parasite…” He’s not going to make it to Ragland’s. Think, dammit! What can he do… Where can he go?

 

Dana’s place is too far from here. Not to mention their last encounter was… awkward, to say the least. It’s either hike it all the way to Ragland’s, or… Desmond. Maybe he’s here. Shit, he’s got to be, or this is going to end really badly.

 

Alex rifles through the memories he’s consumed as he ambles almost drunkenly through the streets. Desmond… Someone saw him once, years ago. He was a bartender at Bad Weather. Her favorite bartender, too. And apparently, she was his as well, considering she remembers…

 

Oh. Wow.

 

Awkward.

 

“Not often you meet someone that you already know what their dong looks like,” Alex mutters under his breath. He also makes a note never to use the word “dong” ever again, and berates the woman who influenced him to use such crude language despite knowing she’ll never hear it. If he could change one thing, he would make it so that he could discard this pointless shit at will.

 

Think harder. Find someone who met Desmond more recently. There has to be someone… A soldier, maybe? Or perhaps a man who met him at Bad Weather, assuming he isn’t bisexual…

 

Oh _shit,_ he _is_ bisexual, turn it off, turn it _OFF!_

 

Now Alex just wants to punch this guy in the face. Great. He can’t get those thoughts out of his head, either. Desmond’s gentle caress, the way his hands glide over Alex’s cheek, sweet, soft movements that brush over every little part of him so perfectly… Shit. Oh, _shit._ His vision’s blurry. This is not helping. Why the hell did this have to happen?!

 

Come on, come _on,_ focus! Find him. There has to be… Dammit, he’ll endure a thousand memories of one night stands with Desmond if it keeps him alive! Just…

 

…Please…

 

It’s getting too dark too fast. Alex’s body is shutting down. Not good. He resorts to looking at address numbers, seeing if any of those bring up memories of Desmond. Maybe he should give up. Maybe he should transform into someone else and stay at their house. But… Those people must have been reported dead by now… It’s too risky.

 

Find him… Keep looking…

 

9341… 9343… 9345…

 

Wait. This one. 9347, someone saw Desmond leave this place not too long ago. Oh, thank _God._ Alex limps as quickly as he can to the door and gives it a rapid series of knocks, then clutches his knees and pants heavily. _Please be home, please, I need your help…_

 

Desmond answers the door, and Alex gets so excited that he nearly throws up. “Alex? What the hell… How did you find me?” Okay, _now_ Alex is throwing up. To be fair, he shouldn’t have opened his mouth to respond to Desmond in the first place when he feels like death. “Dude, what the fuck!” Desmond almost jumps back, pinching his nose and gritting his teeth. “Some fucking greeting you got there! What, you gonna give me a box full of shit for my birthday?!”

 

“Help… me…”

 

Uttering those two words is the last thing Alex remembers doing before the world shrouded itself in darkness. First there was silence, then there was… ticking. Soft, but constant. As the ticking grows louder, he begins to hear voices, and not the ones inside his head. They’re arguing about something… Probably not important.

 

“For the last time, Desmond, you’d better get rid of him, or I’m throwing him out the bloody window myself.” Or not. They could always be talking about something very important to Alex, like being kicked out of the only safe place he can stay until he gets better. You never know.

 

“I’m not kicking him out when he’s hurt!” Desmond’s voice is angry, but hushed. Is he trying not to wake Alex? Well, too late for that. “He saved my ass!”

 

“Saved.” The person he’s talking to scoffs. “Right. Like I save meatloaf for tomorrow’s dinner.”

 

“He’s not going to eat me, dammit! Hell, I don’t even think he _can_ like this!”

 

“He can, and he will, and it might not even be because he wants to. Desmond, look, I know you want to see the best in him, but he’s not… _normal.”_

 

“The Assassins aren’t normal, either! You saying it’d be okay if _he_ kicked me out when _I_ was hurt because I’m not normal to _him?”_

 

The pause between the two voices stretches on.

 

“Exactly,” Desmond’s voice speaks again. “So take your opinion and shove it up your ass!” A set of footsteps replaces the sounds of the voices, growing louder and louder until what sounds like the door to Alex’s room swinging open replaces it in turn. Alex can… sort of see what’s going on. There’s a white blur off to his left that he assumes must be Desmond’s jacket. Everything else is either a blob of blue, off-white, or a shadow. “Hey,” Desmond calls out to him, slowly approaching the virus. “You feeling any better?”

 

Alex pauses for a long time and leans his head back on the cushion beneath him before he answers. “Sorry I puked on your doorstep.”

 

That causes Desmond to snort. “Nah, ‘s fine. At least you didn’t puke on my clothes.” Alex feels the surface beneath him dip, and he looks down to see Desmond sitting on the edge of what he gathers is a bed. _“Then_ I’d have to kill you.”

 

“Good luck with that.” Alex sighs and lets his head fall back again. The world is slowly coming back together, blurs of colors gaining definition and detail around him. He’s in a bedroom, as he expected. The ticking is coming from a clock on the wall, slowly counting down the hours. Everything else in the room is rather plain, normal wooden dressers, a desk and a chair. Looks like Desmond wasn’t lying when he said he was ready to leave the city. There’s no pictures, no personalized modifications, no nothing. For all he knows, this was all here when they rented the place.

 

Considering the pain is gone and his vision has returned to normal, Alex should be ready to go in a few moments. And it makes him wonder… What if he hadn’t shot down that UAV? Would Desmond still be sticking up for him now? Would they have ever worked together in the first place? Considering he’s a superhuman killer, probably not. And now he owes Desmond his life, too. Maybe he would have woken up alone on the street with empty pockets if they had never met, but the chances were greater that someone who knew who he was would have popped a cap in his ass while he was passed out. Dammit. He hates owing favors.

 

“Maybe I should give you my number,” Desmond mumbles. “I mean, I don’t want you to pass out somewhere and get hurt.”

 

Alex can’t stop himself from letting out a bitter laugh. “You don’t want _me_ to get hurt. Do you even know what you’re saying?”

 

“Yeah, I do.” Desmond crosses his arms and honest to God _pouts._ “Look, I know what it’s like to have the media talk shit about you when you’re trying to do the right thing. I’m wanted, too. As far as I’m concerned, we’ve been on the same side even before we met.”

 

There’s silence again, because Alex knows that Desmond is right, even though he should be afraid of the virus right now. Even Ragland always seemed a bit unsettled by Alex, always guarded, like he’s sure that he’ll be torn apart if he gets too close. Something must be different about Desmond. But is that something good or bad?

 

Well… Alex is sure that he could beat the shit out of Desmond if he turned on him, so why not give him a chance? He tosses his phone aimlessly across the bed. “Here.” No further explanation. If he decides he doesn’t want to talk to Desmond anymore, he can just take a new one from one of his victims.

 

The human juggles the phone like it’s a hot potato and quickly punches his number in. It’s almost comical. Almost. Desmond’s face scrunches in that way it did when they met as he hands it back. “You, uh… You married?”

 

“What?” Alex sits up quickly, cradling his phone to his stomach like it was his child. “You think someone would stay with me after I turned into a freak if I ever _was_ married?”

 

“Uh, yeah,” Desmond huffs, “that’s what love is about? You know, actually giving a shit about each other, actually staying with them _in sickness and in health?”_ He frowns and rubs the back of his neck. “I mean, it’s just… You only have two contacts in here, so I thought-“

 

“My sister and my doctor,” Alex growls out, shoving the phone away and into his pocket. “Don’t look at my stuff.”

 

Desmond tilts his head, blinking quickly a few times. “So, what about your parents?”

 

“Don’t remember.” Alex hops off the bed and brushes off his pants. “Doubt they’d want to be anywhere near me after what I did, if they’re still alive.”

 

“What makes you say that?” Desmond stands too, and his questioning is starting to really piss Alex off. “I mean, my dad is kind of a dick, but if I turned into a super virus mutant thing, I think he’d-“

 

“Sell you out to Blackwatch,” Alex spat. “Just like my ex.”

 

Alex hopes that this recent bout of silence means that Desmond feels like shit for bringing it up.

 

Ever the impatient one, he decides not to wait for Desmond’s input before continuing, though his voice is much softer now. “Dana… My sister… The last time we spoke, she…” He sighs. Might as well confide in someone, and Desmond is unusually accepting of his condition. “She was afraid of me. I guess I came on too strong. Told her I was meant to kill, when I should have told her it was just a necessary evil.”

 

“I mean…” Desmond quirks his lips to the side. “You kinda were made to kill.” Alex glares. “Hey, don’t go killing me with your eyes now! What I’m trying to say is… Just because you’re made for something doesn’t mean it’s the only thing you’re meant to do. You can still help people out.” The human gently nudges Alex’s shoulder with a small smile. “Just like you helped me.”

 

Despite being sure that Desmond is wrong, despite knowing that he only saved Desmond so he could consume his memories later, Alex honestly thinks about that. Though he isn’t too confident that he’ll be perfect any time soon, maybe Desmond has a point. He can change this. He can be just a little bit better, even if it kills him. And Dana… Shit, maybe she’ll even be proud of him.

 

“I’ll think about it,” he mutters. “I… Thank you. For everything.”

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Desmond grins and gives Alex another nudge. “But, uh, if you ever plan on leaving the island, can you give us a call? Me and my team got stranded here on, uh… Business.”

 

A team… The Assassins? So he wasn’t kidding when he spoke to… whoever else is here with them. Great, more liabilities. “I’ll let you know.”

 

“Perfect!” Desmond grins, and his whole body seems to perk up with his expression. “So, now that you’re better, you should go see your doctor about that back-tumor thing, huh? I’ll distract the guys so you can get out.”

 

“No need.” Alex shrugs as he walks over to the window, opening it with ease. “It’ll be like I was never here.”

 

“Oh, yeah, okay.” Desmond scrunches his brow like he forgot that Alex already proved he could scale a building by himself, and the virus wonders how much of it is an act and how much is sheer stupidity. “But yeah, call me if you need a place to lay low, okay?”

 

“Got it.” Alex swings his legs over the windowsill, slips out and lands on the ground, letting out a relieved sigh when he leaves Desmond’s company. All he can think of as he navigates the dark, lamp lit streets is Desmond’s warm hand gently caressing his cheek.


	3. Something New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are eating this up! I would've been happy with just 10 views per chapter, but we're up to 71 and counting already! Thank you so much for your support!

Protecting people sucks, Alex decides. Because of Ragland, he almost got killed. Sure, he needed Ragland for the cure, but that idea Desmond had, shooting the parasite off his back with missiles? Starting to sound better and better every day.

 

It’s going to take Ragland a few hours to work out the cure now that he’s got the samples, so Alex decides to lay low for a bit. Dana’s safehouse isn’t an option. Well… Not yet. He wants to give her some space until the tension between them blows over. That leaves Desmond, then. Good thing they shared numbers the night before.

 

A few rings on the phone, and Desmond answers with a casual “hey, Alex!” Good to know he isn’t going to cause Alex the headache of playing phone tag every time he wants to talk.

 

“I’m coming over.” Alex hangs up the phone before Desmond has the chance to respond. What with all the chatter he had to endure the day before, Alex isn’t too keen on keeping communications open for too long. He just wants a quiet place to rest.

 

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Desmond is a bit pissed when he opens the door this time, but Alex has always needed to brush up on his people skills. “At least wait for me to say ‘okay,’ asshole.”

 

“I thought you said I could come over any time I need to,” Alex protests, walking into the apartment like he owns the place. “Gotta play the waiting game. Nowhere else for me to hide out right now.”

 

“Yeah, I get it.” Desmond closes the door and sighs. “Guess I’d better introduce you to the team? If nothing else, I’d at least like you to learn each other’s faces so you don’t kill each other.”

 

Alex shrugs his approval, and Desmond guides him to what appears to be a living room that was converted into a work station. Three people, two men and a woman, are sitting at desks piled with papers. That’s a bit of a surprise. What sort of work involves both papers and killing people? Maybe Desmond is a bodyguard or a mercenary for these people. Whatever it is, it seems to be way more important than having a guest who could rip all of their heads off in one fell swoop.

 

“Hey guys,” Desmond calls out. “This is Alex. He’s crashing for a bit.”  


“Hello, _Zeus.”_ That’s the same voice that Desmond was arguing with the night before. It’s coming from the younger man, the one who seems to be more ready for a book club meeting than an end-of-term work crunch. Even as he speaks, he keeps his eyes trained on the computer screen, spiky red hair bobbing every now and then as he looks back and forth between his computer and his notes.

 

“Shut up, Shaun, don’t call him that!” Desmond is way more upset than Alex is about his companion’s choice of names. “If you call him that in public, people are going to know it’s him!”

 

“Like they don’t already,” Shaun scoffs in reply. Alex guesses he’ll be hearing a lot of that. Scoffing, sarcasm, thinly veiled threats, the works. Somehow, the British accent makes it even more irritating. “Why they don’t have his easily recognizable attire memorized as part of the initiation test for the militia is beyond me.”

 

“Hey, that makes it a hell of a lot easier on us,” the woman fires back. “Count your blessings, Shaun.”

 

“I think I was more blessed before I was trapped in a room with a monster,” Shaun retorts.

 

“Dammit, Shaun, can you chill out for a second?” Desmond groans. “Look, let’s all just introduce ourselves and get it over with.”

 

“Right, so good old _Alex_ here can know what to order next time he hits up the all-you-can-eat human buffet? _Galette des Hastings? Mousse au Crane?”_ Shaun definitely does not seem to like Alex. That’s okay. Alex doesn’t like Shaun, either.

 

Desmond takes off his shoe, removes a sock, and tosses it at Shaun, who lets out a high-pitched yelp when it nails him square in the face. “That asshole,” Desmond seethes, pointing his thumb in the Brit’s general direction, “is Shaun Hastings. Doesn’t like new people. Learned that the hard way. He’ll warm up to you. In like… three months.”

 

“More like I’ll warm up to him when I’m dead!” Shaun calls back, tossing the sock to its owner and missing horribly.

 

“Uh…huh.” Alex quirks a brow, but makes no further comment. “And the others?”

 

“Right, uh,” Desmond claps his hand on the woman’s shoulder and nods to Alex. “This is Rebecca Crane. She’s our techie.”

 

“I thought Shaun was the techie,” Alex mumbles, lips pursed.

 

“He’s an okay backup,” Rebecca shrugs. “He’s better at history than I am, though, so he compiles our records, writes reports, stuff like that.”

 

“And saves everyone’s arse by coming up with the answer to intricate riddles on the spot,” Shaun adds. Wow, this guy is _way_ worse than Desmond.

 

“So, that leaves…” Desmond trails off, staring uncertainly at the last member of the ragtag troupe, the only person who hasn’t spoken yet. His back is turned, and he seems more interested in the bookcase than anything else. Though he doesn’t seem to be much to worry about, Alex senses a certain overpowering aura coming from him, the air of a man who is important to some master plan and knows it. The virus’ inhuman nature hungers for the taste of his memories. Whatever’s in that head of his must be extremely valuable. But… No, not yet. He still needs these people around, at least until he has his cure.

 

“Bill,” the man answers, shaking Alex from his thoughts. “He can call me Bill.”

 

“Uh… Right.” Desmond is unnaturally quiet around Bill. That only confirms Alex’s previous theory. “Anyway, uh… You guys keep at it, Alex and I are gonna go hang out so we don’t bother you.”

 

“Thank God!” Shaun cries, and the sock narrowly misses his head this time.

 

Desmond huffs as he leaves the room, Alex following close behind. “Sorry,” he mumbles. “They’re usually pretty cool. I guess they all buy into the rumors.”

 

“They’re not rumors,” Alex says plainly. “It’s true. I eat people, and I like it.” He looks down to the floor, brow furrowed. “Though… Now, I’m not exactly sure that I do.”

 

“Hey, you haven’t eaten me yet, so I don’t mind.” The smile returns to Desmond’s face, and everything seems a bit more right now. “C’mon. I got some beers in the fridge.”

 

Alex tilts his head, trying to remember the last time he had alcohol. “I don’t think I’ve drank anything since I got infected,” he replies. “Never was that big of a drinker. Too busy.”

 

“Man, that’s all the more reason to drink!” Desmond jogs into the kitchen and pulls two cans from the refrigerator, pops one open and hands the other one to Alex. “Live a little.”

 

The virus furrows his brow and turns the can in his hand to read the label. It’s cheap beer that he remembers drinking in his college years. “I’m not sure how well the virus will take to this,” he warns. “My appetite has changed, so…”

 

“Oh, fine.” Desmond rolls his eyes and downs his entire can in a few quick gulps. With that tossed over his shoulder and into (or more accurately, in the near vicinity of) the trash, Desmond stuffs the rest of the six-pack into his bag. “I’m not cleaning up your puke _again,_ so let’s go do this on the roof.”

 

Something still seems a little off about Desmond, like he’s doing whatever he can to get drunk, or away from his companions. Maybe there’s some tension left over from an argument? Their awkward introduction couldn’t have helped. Shaun’s kind of an ass, too, and he could definitely understand why Desmond would want to get away from that guy. He hasn’t exactly known Desmond for very long, but Alex doesn’t take him for the kind of guy to be an introvert. And, well… He also knows what it’s like to screw things up with someone really important to you, too.

 

Alex nods and follows Desmond out of the window. Of course, the virus arrives topside first, but Desmond isn’t far behind. He briefly wonders if Desmond is the only one who can do that, or if the other three can also hold their own physically.

 

Manhattan is covered in dusk, golden highlights on window-plated buildings, clouds glowing as if powered by the sun. Alex realizes that this is the first time he’s ever stopped to admire it. All of that running, climbing and killing, and never once did he appreciate the city for what it is. “Beautiful,” he murmurs. “Never seen anything like it.”

 

“There you go,” Desmond chuckles while popping open a new can. “See? You’re living already!”

 

Living… Is this what it’s like? To not be hunted, to not frantically search for a cure? Not constantly fighting to coexist, nor constantly needing to keep silent about his condition? Could he possibly be staring at his answer, the one thing he needs to make things right?

 

Hah… If only it was.

 

Alex hastily pops open his can and takes a big gulp of booze. It burns on the way down, and part of him knew it would, but he still hacks like he’s coughing up a lung. “Ugh…” Not to mention it’s nastier than he remembers.

 

“I thought you said you drank before…?” Desmond snorts out a laugh and takes a sip. “Guess humans are better with beer than viruses?”

 

“Doesn’t exactly agree with me,” Alex mutters. “Probably… shouldn’t have too many.”

 

Desmond shrugs. “Hey, more for me.” He sucks at his can greedily, without a care in the world. “Ah… Y’know, I’m glad you came over, actually.” The human rolls his shoulder and cracks his neck. “Today would’ve been pretty boring otherwise. Everybody’s looking for a way out of Manhattan, and I’m just kind of… here.”

 

“You aren’t interested in leaving Manhattan?” Alex looks over at Desmond, cradling his beer between his hands.

 

“No? Uh, I mean yes,” Desmond stammers. “I’ve gotta get back to Penn so I can… uh, work. Right now, all I can do is… well, the kinda stuff you caught me doing at the military base.”

 

“So, you stole something that should help you get out of the city,” Alex concludes.

 

“Yeah. Shift chart so we know when the guards are changing positions.” Desmond leans his elbows on his knees. “Kinda pointless with the automatic turrets at the bridges, though… So now we gotta figure out how to disable those…”  


“Or take a boat,” Alex adds. “Or a helicopter.”

 

“I doubt a helicopter would work,” Desmond responds. “We’ve got a lot of stuff to haul back. Boat, maybe… But we might get intercepted by the time we reach the other shore.”

 

There’s silence as they watch the sun fade away. The clouds lose their glow, slowly turning grayer and grayer. Alex wishes he could help. He really is thankful that Desmond let him stay, that he hasn’t called Blackwatch yet. Getting someone out of the city shouldn’t be that hard. And yet…

 

“Every moment we wait,” Alex mutters, “a bit more hope fades away. Dipping below the horizon… Until nothing’s left.”

 

Desmond gives him a look that almost audibly asks if Alex is crazy. “You sure that’s the first beer you’ve had today?”

 

Alex scoffs. “Forget it.” As if reminded of the poison in a can, the virus finishes off his drink and tosses the empty aluminum aside. “Probably not the best time to wax poetic, anyway.”

 

“Well… I dunno.” Desmond shrugs again. “Maybe it is? I mean, I’m human, it just takes one bullet to kill me and there are tanks on every corner, and you got a fucking tumor on your shoulder… Yeah, I’d say this is pretty much worst case scenario for both of us. So… Go ahead and do whatever, I guess.” He stares at the sunset, then closes his eyes with a relaxed sigh. “Who knows, it could be the last day of our lives.”

 

Alex wants to say something, wants to tell Desmond that he’d rather die fighting than relaxing, but the parasite suddenly burns and causes the virus to cry out. The human is by his side in a flash, carefully pulling Alex’s injured shoulder away from the roof’s surface. “Hey, hey!” The world is going dark, spinning around him, there’s so much pain… Fuck… “Stay with me, Alex! Come on!”

 

“Ugh… Dammit…” Alex manages to muster the strength to sit upright, panting heavily as he holds his head. “I’m… I’m all right. It’ll pass.”

 

“That didn’t _look_ like you were all right.” Desmond sits down on his haunches, pressing the back of his hand to Alex’s forehead. “I can get Shaun to take a look at you…”

 

“Fuck no,” Alex spits. “I’d rather die.”

 

“Uh… Okay, well, you’re halfway there.” As Desmond laughs, Alex realizes how intimate the moment is. Watching the sunset, sharing stories, talking about their problems… touching. It’s bringing to mind all of those times his victims saw Desmond, the ones that had sex with him, his hand… Shit, don’t touch his cheek. He already feels so weak from the parasite, if Desmond shows him that kind of tenderness, he… He doesn’t know how he’ll react.

 

“I’ll be…” Deep breaths, Alex. “Fine. Ragland’s working on it… I’m…”

 

“You need to relax.” The world seems to move in slow motion as Desmond reaches out to Alex, hand hovering just above his cheek… and then it rests there. _Fuck._ It’s not so much the motion itself as the memories attached to it. Everything bombards him all at once, those touches, caresses, kisses, whispers and cries, oh God, it’s so much better than this fucking pain in the back.

 

“I’ve got a good idea of how I can do that,” Alex mumbles. He mirrors Desmond’s actions, moves his hand back to grab a tuft of the human’s hair, and before he can stop himself, roughly shoves their lips together.


	4. Repeated Trials

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I had been planning on taking a good few chapters before writing smut, but the boys decided differently. Horny bastards, the both of them. But it works well with where I want to take the story, so I'm keeping it.
> 
> Also, I've been replaying AC3, and I found out that the first power cell mission also takes place in Manhattan. So, I'm taking back what I said in the first chapter so I can merge the stories a little earlier. I'll go back and edit those notes so I don't confuse my new readers.

At first, Desmond lets out a yelp of protest, but all resistance quickly melts away and he begins kissing back. Honestly, Alex is surprised that he didn’t get pushed away. So Desmond is okay with kissing a walking murder machine? Huh. Wouldn’t have guessed.

 

Their lips fit together in a way that seems almost too perfect. Desmond’s are plump and framed with a light dusting of stubble. And that scar… Somehow, it feels better than Alex imagined it, and he can’t stop himself from licking over it.

 

Desmond starts tugging Alex’s jacket, fruitlessly trying to unclothe the virus. It’ll eventually come off, but… Not yet. He wants this, but he needs a moment longer to mentally prepare before he can expose himself. Blackwatch could find them at any moment, after all. That’s the only reason he’ll admit to.

 

Alex pushes Desmond down onto the roof, tongue and teeth busying the human as he reaches to undo the other’s pants. The red belt is quickly discarded, followed by Desmond’s jeans. Little prickles of gooseflesh raise on his newly exposed skin, likely a result of the cold. Alex pulls his mouth away so that they can catch their breaths, then dives in to Desmond’s neck, sucking and nibbling at the soft skin as his hands gently caress the human’s thighs. Sounds like Desmond likes it, from all the gasps and moans spilling from his lips.

 

“A… Alex,” Desmond sighs. “Ah… Shit, dude… You sure hate… giving people proper warnings, huh…?”

 

“No time,” Alex murmurs against the skin of his neck. “Need you. Now.”

 

“Ohhh… Okay.” Desmond must be buzzed from drinking so much to say something that airheaded. More likely, he hasn’t had a good lay in a while, and he’s decided not to reject Alex’s offer. Whatever the case, Alex isn’t going to stop until he’s satisfied.

 

The rest of Desmond’s clothes come off with ease, and Alex wastes no time on sentimental shit. Hood, shirt, underwear, all of it goes. And when the human notices he’s shivering in the cold, naked beneath a fully-clothed virus, he decides to complain. “You gonna take anything off, or is this one of your weird kinks?”

 

Alex only smirks in reply. Time for the real test. His clothes peel away, separating into black and red tendrils and retreating beneath his skin. Easy. It leaves him just as naked, hair and face completely exposed. And if it were anyone else… He isn’t sure he’d feel comfortable enough to leave himself this… vulnerable.

 

Though Alex was almost positive that Desmond would be disgusted, or at least slightly so, or that he might make some sort of stupid joke out of it, the human proves him wrong by saying nothing at all. Instead, his eyes widen, and he reaches up to gently run his hands over Alex’s face. “The moment we met, I thought you had the most gorgeous blue eyes…” Desmond’s words are so sickeningly sweet that they almost hurt.

 

When they kiss again, Alex is a little gentler. He’s still horny as hell, but… He feels like he owes it to Desmond, for everything he’s done, consciously or not. A small pang of guilt clutches at Alex’s heart. Desmond obviously trusts him, and here he is, treating the human like he’s some sort of plaything. Maybe Dana was right to be scared of him. Maybe… after he finds a way to get Desmond out of Manhattan, he shouldn’t bother him or his friends anymore. Just this one night of passion, and then it’s strictly business. He can’t keep using Desmond. Not anymore.

 

At first, Alex isn’t entirely sure what to do next, which bothers him. Of course his memories are still muddled by the time he was infected, but he would think he’d remember how to do this if he remembers other things about his life, even if it’s just by muscle memory. Maybe he should ask Desmond for… No. No showing weakness. There’s no way he consumed a bunch of virgins who never watched porn. It’ll come to him.

 

Unfortunately, the voices are unnaturally quiet right now. Or, rather, they’re all screaming the same thing. _Take him, show him who’s in charge, make him submit, make it feel so good…_ While Alex is glad for their unusual cooperation, he’s a bit miffed that he can’t figure out how to do this without them.

 

“Uhhh… You okay there?” Desmond looks worried. Not exactly ideal. He’s sitting up now, putting a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “You’ve got this look like your mind’s in outer space, and…”

 

“I’m fine,” Alex grumbles, “I just… haven’t done this since I got infected.”

 

Desmond’s eyes are wide for half a second, but then he must have reached some conclusion, because he starts laughing. Hard. “Oh… Oh man.” Despite Alex’s growls, he’s still letting out little fits of giggles. “For a second there, I thought you were gonna tell me you’re a virgin, and that’d be, like… _reeeally_ awkward.”

 

“Shut the fuck up,” Alex snaps. He slams his body against Desmond’s so that it smacks against the roof, drawing a gasp from the human. “You got a problem with inexperienced people?”

 

“When it comes to one night stands?” Desmond lets out a wheezing laugh. “Yeah, I do.”

 

That’s all Alex can take. He covers that insufferable mouth with his own, grinding their hips together on a whim. Oh. Yeah, that’s good. What’s better is that it’s getting him thinking about sex, putting the voices to use by bringing to mind sexual encounters with other people.

 

_Show me… Show me the ones who were with Desmond. Show me what he likes…_

 

Desmond seems to like being on top, from what Alex can gather from the images that whiz past his mind’s eye, and hell no, that’s not happening. Not just because of his pride, but because of his back. There’s no way he could tolerate that kind of pain. Instead, Alex thinks over all the pictures in his head, and decides anal sex is the way to go. Desmond seems to like that one a lot, anyway.

 

If he’s going to do this properly, he’s going to need some lube, and they’re a bit limited on options. “You got a knife?” Alex asks.

 

“Uh… Yeah, sure.” Surprisingly, Desmond grabs the thing that used to be attached to his wrist, pulls a switch, and a long blade slides out.

 

“That’ll have to do.” Alex grabs the last can of beer and saws the top off with the blade. The metal makes an ungodly screech as it grinds together, and once Alex succeeds, he tosses the waste off to the side.

 

“Can I… ask what the hell you’re doing here?” Desmond peeks over Alex’s shoulder as the virus dips his hand in the beer. “What the- Are you using _beer_ as _lube?!”_

 

“Do you have a better idea?” Alex quirks a brow, staring him dead in the eye as he reaches his booze-covered hand between Desmond’s legs and probes gently at his anus.

 

“Ohhh, shit, umm,” Desmond gasps, “no, but like, it might be easier to think if you stopped- Wait, wait, I take it back, don’t stop, okay?”

 

“That’s what I thought,” Alex grins, kissing a trail up the human’s neck. Desmond’s mouth is put to so much better use like this. Every gasp, every moan is like music. It only grows louder when Alex pushes a finger inside, massaging, exploring, feeling…

 

“Shit, Alex!” Desmond’s back arches off the roof, arms and legs grasping at the warm body above him. “Ohhh… Hell yeah.” Alex watches, memorizes the movement of Desmond’s lip as his tongue wets over it, and that scar. “Found the jackpot.”

 

Jackpot… Does he mean his prostate? Alex gives a few more experimental strokes inside of Desmond, and the human gasps breathlessly, his entire body jerking in random directions like he’s been shocked. Yeah, probably the prostate. It’s rather satisfying, watching Desmond helpless beneath him. The twitching in his cock reminds him that he can’t just watch forever, though.

 

Alex dips his hand back into the beer and begins to coat his length in alcohol. Soft grunts and gasps escape him as a result of the friction, pleasant tingles sparking up his spine that he craves so much more of. Imagine what it’ll be like the moment they touch… His insides churn pleasantly at the thought.

 

“Hey,” Desmond murmurs, his voice taking on a more sultry tone than before. “Y’know, this isn’t such a bad idea…” Hands reach up to trace over Alex’s body, gliding over his thighs, up over his arms, his chest, and back down again. “Kinda really makes me wanna suck your dick.”

 

“Kinda really,” Alex echoes, his face far too nonchalant for their current situation. “Or you could ‘kinda really’ suck my fingers, and then decide where you want to go from there.”

 

“Give ‘em here,” Desmond demands without missing a beat, and he opens his mouth as an invitation. God, this guy has no right to be so damned attractive. If he wasn’t an asshole most of the time, maybe Alex would come back for seconds.

 

Not wanting to miss out on this opportunity, Alex slips his fingers in the human’s mouth and watches as his lips close around them. If the image of Desmond patiently awaiting his touch was heaven, the sights and sounds, even just _feeling_ him lick over his fingers, is nirvana. Alex sincerely hopes that Desmond can suck cock like that. His eyes are closed, head bobbing just slightly as he cleans the beer from Alex’s fingers, tongue poking out from his lips every now and then, a gentle pull in the corners of his lips that Alex knows would be a smirk if his mouth wasn’t full. Well, now it’s going to be full of something else.

 

Without warning, Alex roughly grabs Desmond’s head by his bangs and pulls him off. “Get that on my dick,” he orders breathlessly. His heart is pumping, body practically screaming with desire. Shit, he doesn’t remember it feeling this good. Ever. And it only gets better when Desmond complies, licking and sucking over his manhood like a pro. Holy _shit,_ how many times has Desmond done this?

 

Part of Alex is glad that he doesn’t have his powers right now, because he might have crushed Desmond’s skull then and there. Humans tend to need that part of the body. Alex keeps himself under control by gripping Desmond’s shoulders as the human works his mouth along the shaft. The noises the virus makes are bordering on embarrassing, rough grunts and moans that he didn’t know he was capable of producing. As Desmond pulls away, Alex’s hips jerk forward, only pulling back just slightly when the mouth around him slips down near the base again. Oh God, just a little more and he’s going to lose it-

 

Suddenly the cold air hits him like a punch to the gut. Alex almost wants to scream. In fact, if people wouldn’t get suspicious and come to investigate, he would. “Get back here!” he demands, reaching out to pull Desmond back.

 

“Nuh-uh!” The human seems unnaturally pleased with himself as he turns around and gets on his hands and knees. “How about _you_ get back _here?”_ There’s that fucking tone again, the tone that’s like liquid sex, like he knows exactly what Alex wants and how he wants it. Not only that, but he knows all this shit _and denies Alex of it_ which is driving him _up the fucking wall._

 

…Hmm, not a bad idea. Alex files the image of fucking Desmond up against the brick walls of Manhattan’s alleyways in the back of his mind for later use.

 

Right now, he’s going to crawl over to Desmond’s ass and fuck it. And God, does the human look good like this. Little scars from battles long past streaking down his back, perfect divots wrapping around his shoulder blades… Alex grabs two handfuls of ass, relishing how wonderfully firm it feels, then moves his hands up, over Desmond’s hips, tracing over scars here and there until his hands rest on those shoulders. He could probably get it in with just a movement of his hips right now, but hell if he’s going to give Desmond a chance to laugh if he misses. So, to be sure, Alex takes hold of himself and guides his erection inside of the awaiting body with his hand.

 

“Ohhh… Shit,” Desmond groans, and his head drops as he begins to pant harshly. “Shit, slow down…”

 

“Slow down?” Alex leans in close to Desmond’s ear, grinning despite the fact that he can’t see it. “You’re too weak to handle me, then.”

 

For a moment, the only thing they can hear is the wind whistling between the buildings, coupled with their panting breaths. Alex starts to regret saying that, thinking he upset Desmond and made him want to stop, until he’s pleasantly surprised by the human arching his body back to get more of Alex inside of him. “Fuck that,” he snarls.

 

“Oh, believe me,” Alex assures in the lowest, most sultry tone he can muster. “I’m _definitely_ about to fuck that.”

 

Desmond is able to let out a single laugh before the world is lost to the both of them. Alex begins a steady rhythm, and they’re gone, groaning and gasping, thrusting and bucking their hips together. They’ve completely forgotten about the parasite by now, the reason why they’re doing this at all. Animalistic hunger claims them, enshrouds them in a torrent of chaotic togetherness, until it consumes them both and they can take no more.

 

Much to Alex’s pleasant surprise, Desmond reaches the end first. He releases onto the rooftop with a long groan, bending forward until his forehead rests against the cool concrete, body shaking from head to toe. It would have taken Alex longer to follow suit, if Desmond’s body hadn’t begun clenching around him, almost beckoning him to cum. Damn if he doesn’t answer. Alex’s hips still, and some strange feed of shouting in his head overcomes him, memories spilling out in nonsensical order as he loses himself. Laying on the beach, watching the sunset. Calm walks through the woods. Laughing with a group of friends in some high school’s cafeteria. What is he seeing… What…?

 

Alex can’t comprehend this, and in his confusion, he lets out a small, pitiful sound near Desmond’s ear, closer to a squeak than a moan. Everything, even the earth is gone beneath him, holy _shit._ He can barely register Desmond making some sort of noise of complaint as he shivers against the human body beneath him. It’s like when he was first infected, except… well, a hell of a lot better. He hasn’t got a clue what’s happening, but damn, it’s so good, so fucking good…

 

“You should’ve told me you were a fucking geyser,” Desmond huffs, and that seems to get Alex’s attention. He pulls out, and a stream of biomass follows out, dripping onto the rooftop.

 

“Uh…” Alex takes a moment to think, unable to really process this properly. “Shit.”

 

“Can you clean this up or something?” Desmond groans, rubbing gently at his ass. “Like… That is _definitely_ not mine.”

 

“Oh, shut up…” Alex doesn’t even have the strength to roll his eyes. Fortunately, it seems he is able to clean it up, and the biomass retreats back into his body without any complications.

 

“That’s waaay better.” Desmond rolls onto his back and sighs. “Damn… I thought you said you hadn’t done this in a while?”

 

“Since I got infected,” Alex clarifies. He lays down next to Desmond, watching the stars poke out from around the clouds. “But… The last time was a while ago.”

 

“Work keeping you out of bed too, huh?” What Desmond does next is probably the biggest surprise of all. He scoots over and rests his cheek against Alex’s chest, arm draped over his stomach. So he’s a cuddler? Alex never would have guessed.

 

Unfortunately for Desmond, Alex is hardly one for cuddles, and he pushes the human away. For a moment, Alex swears he sees hurt in Desmond’s eyes when their gazes lock again. Yet, in a split second, it’s gone, replaced by a crooked smirk and a shove on the shoulder. “You should go see that doctor of yours.” There’s no life in Desmond’s voice. He’s always so animated, so eager to talk, and it doesn’t make sense that he would speak so plainly after they both agreed that this was the best that either of them had in a while. Is he mad that he didn’t get his stupid cuddles? Wimp.

 

“He should be about ready by now,” Alex agrees. He watches Desmond limp over to his clothes, slipping them on piece by piece, noting with amusement that he still only has one sock. Of course, Alex has the upper hand here, which he proves by quickly morphing his clothes back onto his body. “What are you gonna tell ‘em? Fell out of a window?”

 

“Uh, yeah. I guess.” Desmond’s probably not going to talk his way out of admitting that he had sex no matter what, Alex guesses. Too much evidence.

 

As Alex stands to prepare to leave, he finds himself… conflicted. Not long ago, he told himself he would never use Desmond again, that it would just be this night and nothing further. He wants to do it again, though. He wants to kiss over that scar. And seeing Desmond react like this, like he’s disappointed… What does that mean? Sure, it could be weakness, like he thought before, but maybe…

 

Maybe Desmond’s too drunk to process this correctly right now and Alex shouldn’t think about it too hard. He’s swaying as he puts on his clothes. Good God, what kind of idiot gets drunk with a mass murderer on a rooftop? What kind of idiot _has sex_ with a mass murderer on a rooftop? Well, Alex did initiate it, but Desmond encouraged it, so it’s just as much his fault.

 

“Well?” Suddenly, Desmond sounds pissed. “Go.”

 

By the time Desmond turns around, not even Alex’s retreating form can be seen.


	5. Isolation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to get back to the action soon, but I have to work up some relationships and plotlines first. Sorry, guys! I promise I'll get the boys doing cool stuff as soon as it fits in.

It’s quiet. Cold. Only mortal screams and sprays of bullets break the almost palpable silence. Alex hates how lonely he suddenly feels. Until now, he had been fine, feeling perfectly content to roam anywhere alone as long as his sister was always there to return to if he really needed her. But he messed things up, he scared her, and he can’t return until the time is right. No… He _won’t_ return, not until he’s gotten rid of the parasite. If he attracts unwanted guests to Dana’s safehouse, especially ones he can’t defend her from, he’ll never forgive himself.

 

Desmond is the only thing he has left, but he’s ruined that too, hasn’t he? And not by being a virus, but by being an asshole. Sure, Desmond doesn’t know when to shut up. He lacks about ten years maturity. Add all of his shitty friends on top of that, and Alex has a damned good reason to hate him. But… When all of the chips were down, when Desmond wasn’t given any context except that Alex was in a lot of physical danger, and both times that Alex needed a place to hide, Desmond let him in without any questions asked. The human trusted him enough to let Alex into his home with all of his friends, and how does his kindness get repaid? By getting fucked in the ass. Literally.

 

So, while Alex feels lonely for the first time in years, he deserves it. He deserves to wallow in misery, routing around through the dirty streets to find the Hunter that’ll get him cured. Well… Maybe not _just_ the streets. He consumed a helicopter pilot not long ago, one of the best pilots in all of Manhattan, and it’s not long after he’s in the air until he has the damn thing in his sights, chases it down, and consumes it. And damn, is it good to have his powers back. Not only to have them back, but to have _evolved,_ to return stronger than ever. Though, even with this new power, nothing seems… whole.

 

He thinks back on the night before while he walks through Long Island’s filthiest streets, hands in his pockets. Desmond was so accepting, so comfortable with Alex, so… _loving,_ if he could put it that way. Was it the alcohol? Was it something more? And if it was, why? Alex had been treated like nothing more than a monster ever since he’d been infected. Maybe Desmond is insane, then. No, he _must_ be insane, to be anything less than afraid of Alex. Even military men cry like children at the sight of him. Yet, Desmond wasn’t even the slightest bit upset until… until Alex rejected a show of affection. Did he… Was Desmond… _interested_ in Alex? No. No way. Impossible. Yet…

 

Ugh. Alex has to get out of here. Despite how much he doesn’t want to risk seeing Dana again so soon and making matters worse, he can’t help himself. Alex just has to see her. He has to talk to someone he trusts and make the pain go away, or at least forget it for a little while. It’ll be fine. It’ll…

 

She…

 

Dana, oh God no, _Dana!_

 

What a fucking idiot, what a complete goddamn moron he is, to think he’d ever be safe! She’s gone. Oh God, she’s gone, and it’s all his fault. This is worse than fucking things up. This is fucking up on a whole new level. Alex chased her across the whole damn city and still couldn’t save her. He’s useless. Worthless. Beyond stupid.

 

Is there a way to get her back? Can he follow the monster that stole her away? Does this curse of a virus come with some sort of scent tracking capability? Dammit, why does he _never_ get the power he wants or needs until well after it’d be useful?!

 

There is one thing he can think of. One person, rather. Alex may have messed things up, but… If he can’t talk to somebody, _anybody,_ he thinks he’ll go insane.

 

“Hey, Alex, what’s up?” Desmond sounds like he’s completely unaffected by the night before when Alex calls him. It’s both completely unsurprising and enough to leave Alex floored.

 

“I need to see you.” Alex knows he sounds like as much hell as he looks, all panting and shaking, voice cracking just the slightest. “It’s urgent.”

 

“Whoa, hey, don’t bring hostiles over here.” God, Desmond has no idea what’s happening right now, does he? That’s really- …No. Alex shouldn’t blame Desmond for things he couldn’t possibly be capable of, for not knowing what he can’t see. “You gotta shake ‘em first.”

 

“Wish that were the case.” Alex is already on his way to the apartment by the time he responds. “I’ll tell you when I’m there. Secure a room. _Away from Shaun.”_

 

“Away from Shaun?” The mixture of confusion and amusement carries well in Desmond’s voice. “That’s a pretty specific order. Okay, on it. Come in through the window to the bedroom, y’know, the one I set you up in when you came here first? That should work.”

 

As much as Alex doesn’t want to think about being in a bedroom with Desmond right now, it’s better than being left alone with his thoughts. “Better leave it open, or I’m busting through. Almost there. Talk to you then.” He hangs up, and it’s better than last time, at least. To be honest, he’s surprised he wasn’t worse with his manners since he’s worked up from losing Dana.

 

Desmond’s barely got the window open when Alex slips inside. “You said you had a talent for finding people,” he begins without so much as a hello. “If you’re telling the truth? I need your help.”

 

Desmond grimaces and holds his hands up. “Okay, slow down, tell me what happened.”

 

“Dana.” At the mere mention of her name, Alex frowns and starts pacing back and forth in the room. “I lead the infected straight to her. If I hadn’t been such a damn fool…”

 

“They’ve got her?!” Suddenly, Desmond looks a lot less like the total ditz he normally is and much more like he knows what he’s doing, like he has a whole plan mapped out in his head. “The _infected?”_

 

“Don’t know what they want with her, why they wouldn’t consume her on the spot. Probably me. _Must_ be me.” Alex stops pacing and looks at Desmond. “I don’t have the right to ask you to give up any more for me than you already have. But… If I could, I would even beg for your help right now. For her sake. She doesn’t deserve to get dragged into this.”

 

“Yeah… Yeah, I getcha.” Desmond sighs and rubs at the back of his neck, staring at the floor. “Not exactly the kinda thing you can nuke your way through… So, how close are you to being back-cancer-free again?”

 

“The parasite is gone.” Alex points to his shoulder, showing Desmond his proof. “I should’ve had the fire power to take the damn thing down, but it was just too fast. Guess I’ll need a different approach.”

 

“Hey, if you want different, you’ve come to the right place!” Desmond grins, rubbing his hands together. “So, when do we start?”

 

“As soon as we have a plan.” Alex crosses his arms, tapping his pointer finger against his elbow nervously. “There are so many goddamn hives, it’d take forever to infiltrate them all, search for her, and destroy the place. But, destroying them is a bad idea anyway. We might miss her and kill her accidentally.”

 

“Hey, having things narrowed down at all is more info than I’m used to in a search-and-rescue,” Desmond chuckles. “Why don’t you relax a little?”

 

This is too strange. Desmond is being too nice, too cavalier about a situation that’s anything but hopeful. After Alex _used_ him, stupidly thinking it would be okay because they were both consenting? Something’s wrong. It could easily be Karen all over again, and Alex starts keeping his guard up to prevent himself from getting too close.

 

“I’ve done enough relaxing.” Alex huffs and looks away. “If anyone should relax, it’s you.”

 

Desmond snorts and rolls his eyes. “Don’t treat me like I’m a kid. You’re talking like that’s the first dick I’ve ever had up my ass.”

 

Why is everything that Desmond says so nonchalant and crude? God, he didn’t even _mention_ last night, and it’s like somehow the human knew what Alex was thinking. If it wasn’t one of the most goddamned annoying things he’d ever dealt with, Alex might be impressed. A little.

 

Still, considering how much of an enigma Desmond is, it makes Alex wonder. “…Was it?” Part of him has to know if he’s ever going to be able to forgive himself.

 

Desmond takes a while to respond, and he may not have expected that question. Alex wouldn’t have expected it either, so he doesn’t mind. “First in a long time,” the human admits. “Bad idea to put yourself out of commission when you’re on the run, y’know? Never been that great at bottoming anyway.”

 

Whether it’s due to a strange bout of sentiment, or to guilt from knowing the barely concealed confusion clouding both of their heads is his fault, Alex replies, “you were perfect. Wouldn’t change a thing.”

 

He hasn’t seen real shock on Desmond’s face like this before. Mouth slightly agape, eyes wide, brows raised as high as they’ll go. Part of Alex tenses, thinking that Desmond sees something about to attack them, that he’s about to lose the last thing he has left, but the Hunter never comes. It’s just shock, pure and simple. But what’s so shocking about a compliment?

 

Desmond must have noticed that he’s been staring, because he coughs into his hand and looks away. “Uh… Yeah, thanks.” His response causes Alex to crook his head curiously. Never heard Desmond sound so meek and uncertain before. Maybe flirting is the best way to shut him up. “Okay, so… Do you… have any ideas? About finding Dana, I mean, I don’t need any ideas about se-“

 

Alex holds up his hand and grunts. “Don’t. We’ve both said more than enough.” As much as he tries to deny it, Desmond is blushing, and so is he. “I might be able to consume some infected and use their hive mind to my advantage.”

 

“Consume the infected…? How would that work?” Desmond quirks his lips in that way that makes his scar bend, and Alex curses inwardly at how damned attractive it is. “Like, don’t you just get people’s energy from that?”

 

“No. I gain their memories, too.” It’s both a great boon and a terrible burden, but Alex doesn’t bring that part up. “So, consuming an infected would give me their memories.”

 

“Huh…” Desmond crinkles his nose at Alex’s description. “Are you sure that won’t hurt you or something? Like, wouldn’t you become one of the infected’s puppets?”

 

Alex shakes his head. “What choice do I have?”

 

“Every choice in the whole world, dammit!” Desmond grips Alex’s shoulder, a serious look on his face. “Look. I’ll help you first. _Then_ if we don’t have any leads, you can eat a whole insane asylum if you need to. Neither of us are gonna be able to save Dana if you’re fucked up from eating an infected-“

 

“It’s _consuming,_ not _eating.”_ Alex huffs.

 

“Oh, shut the fuck up!” Desmond’s grip on Alex’s shoulder tightens, jaw clenched tight as he shoots the virus a snarling glare. “It’s eating! It’s refueling yourself in order to survive! So what if you get a little something extra thanks to the virus?”

 

“Do you hear yourself talking?” Alex stalks a bit closer, his own expression becoming just as serious as Desmond’s. “You’re talking about the slaughter of your own people by my hands like it’s as normal as going to a diner. _An all you can eat human buffet.”_

 

“Yeah,” Desmond growls, lowering his voice just the slightest, “at least you can do something productive with them after you kill them.”

 

Realization dawns over him, and Alex’s face goes calm as he leans back and raises his brow. “Then, it’s true. You are an Assassin after all.”

 

Desmond’s hand slips off of Alex’s shoulder, and he sighs. “Yeah. I… guess it was just a matter of time before you found out.” He puts up his hood and backs away. “So… If you remember anything from when you worked for Gentek, you know that everyone’s been telling me to kill you from day one.”

 

“Gentek?” Alex chuckles. _“That’s_ the only reason why any of you want me dead?”

 

“Well, I guess none of them are a fan of how you eat people,” Desmond shrugs. “But honestly, it’s no worse than anything I deal with on a daily basis. I think all three of the others could probably kill me at the drop of a hat, but I still trust them.”

 

Alex thinks that over. And it makes sense. Any human could probably kill the other, given the proper tools. Maybe Alex isn’t anywhere near as easy to kill, but maybe… Maybe that isn’t a bad thing. “Then, why is it a problem that I worked for Gentek?”

 

“Templars,” Desmond explains like it’s supposed to mean everything to Alex. “You… know what those are, don’t you?”

 

“The Knights Templar, the Christian army, led during the times of the Holy Crusades?” Now it’s Alex’s turn to quirk his lips and wrinkle his nose. “They were disbanded almost a thousand years ago.”

 

Something in Desmond looks… _relieved_ to hear that. Almost like he had been prepared to do something more difficult than anything he’d faced in a long time. “Yeah,” Desmond breathes. “They sure were.”

 

“Why bring it up, then?” Alex isn’t going to let this go, to let Desmond pretend he just said something stupid to see if Alex was paying attention. “Shaun is the history nerd, not you.”

 

“Look who’s talking,” Desmond counters, “I mean, you knew what they were without someone telling you first.”

 

“Doesn’t matter. Tell me why you brought them up,” Alex demands.

 

“Maybe you’ll find out the next time you eat somebody?” Desmond shrugs and backs up until he can sit on the windowsill. “You never know.”

 

“Or, you could tell me right now and not be an asshole,” Alex retorts. It only earns him a smirk from the human, and an empty room. He can do nothing but watch as Desmond lands gracefully on the street below and races down the road until the city swallows him whole.


	6. A Better Idea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for taking so long to update. And this chapter is almost like filler, which makes me feel bad, because now that I've updated all I have to show is a tiny chapter. The good news is, the action is coming next! And hopefully, I'll be able to deliver that soonish.
> 
> I also want to take a quick moment to thank everyone for the heartwarming reviews they left on the last chapter. That was so great to come back to! Thank you all so much!

Leaving Alex alone in the apartment may not have been the best move, because now Desmond’s Assassin friends are looking for a human and finding a virus. “Desmond?” Shaun calls, fiddling with his glasses as he enters the bedroom. “I’ve been looking into the Kenway family’s history, and…” It doesn’t take long after he spots the intruder for his tone to change. “Oh, what the bloody hell- Alex! What are _you_ doing here?!”

 

“That’s a step up from calling me ‘Zeus’ from the start,” Alex replies.

 

“Don’t push your luck.” Shaun sets the tea he’d been carrying on the desk so he can wag a finger at Alex. “I know exactly what you are. I did a whole bloody report on you the moment we landed here. Don’t think I won’t keep an eye on you just because Desmond likes you, God knows why.”

 

Alex stays silent for a moment, staring at the mug. “He likes me?”

 

Shaun stammers and tries to think of something to say. “As a friend,” he explains.

 

Though Alex wants to hear more of what Shaun knows, he decides that Shaun isn’t the best one to ask. “He told me about Gentek,” Alex says instead. “Said that none of you were comfortable around me because I used to work there.”

 

“Well… Yes, that’s true.” Shaun crosses his arms. “Hard to trust someone who came from the other side, you know.”

 

“The other side…?” Alex looks at Shaun, head tilted slightly. “You were at war with Gentek?”

 

“Abstergo,” Shaun clarifies. “Blackwatch started it, Abstergo funded and then bought it up. Not surprising, considering Abstergo’s interest in genetics.”

 

“Abstergo…” Alex walks a little closer and purses his lips. “It… sounds familiar. Don’t they produce electronics?”

 

“Electronics, software, propaganda and lies meant to destroy our Order, yeah, that sort of thing.” Shaun shrugs. “Lucky you cocked things up for them, or else we’d be fighting people just like you on the daily.”

 

Desmond’s words are starting to make sense. Shaun is a lot more open with both his stance and his words now that he knows Alex isn’t on “the other side,” or at least he’s relaxed his guard and is wondering if Alex is playing dumb in order to gain false trust. Now it’s only a matter of finding out what “the other side” is. It’s a longshot, but Desmond’s only given him one lead, one question left to be answered, and it’s possible it may be connected to this one. “The Templars,” he says. “They weren’t disbanded all those hundreds of years ago, were they? They’re here. And… I used to work for them.”

 

“Bingo,” Shaun replies, a hint of an impressed tone in his voice. “Who told you that?”

 

“Desmond brought it up. Didn’t tell me what they were, but now that I’ve put it together…” Alex chews his bottom lip as he thinks about the implications. “They’re the other guys? Christians? Don’t religious types hate science?”

 

“Were it that they did, and were it that they were religious,” Shaun sighs. “Times have changed a lot, but they all came from the same original ideal. Peace through order and obedience.”

 

“So, communism,” Alex surmises. “Probably with the same results, anyway.”

 

“Exactly.” Shaun seems rather pleased with Alex’s answer. “So, you’re… not one of them, right? The team’s sort of got a bad history with people pretending they’re with us and stabbing us in the back.”

 

“I didn’t know either side existed before I met Desmond,” Alex admits. “Might’ve found out on my own eventually, but I doubt I would’ve really cared. That, or I’d be against the Templars by association. Got a personal vendetta against Blackwatch.”

 

“Yeah, as much as they have one against you,” the Brit retorts. “But, well, as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Until he eats me. That’s not how the saying goes because I added the last part, but you catch my meaning.”  


Alex snorts. “I sort of wish I didn’t.”

 

“In any case!” Shaun raises a finger into the air. “Don’t think you’re the only one who knows the parasite formula. You lay one slimy tentacle on Desmond, and it’s straight back to tumor town for you. We clear on that?”

 

“Crystal,” Alex grumbles with a roll of his eyes.

 

“Right!” Shaun pats Alex on the shoulder with an encouraging smile. “Well, now that we understand each other, feel free to stop by whenever you need to.”

 

What.

 

“…That’s it?” Alex gives Shaun a cautious look. “What the hell… Why do none of you care about the fact that I’m a _killing machine_ who barely knows how to control himself?”

 

Shaun just answers with a laugh, takes a sip from his mug, and says, “you’re actually trying, even if it’s only a little bit. That’s a lot more than anyone can say for the Templars.”

 

Templars. Are they really that bad? Well… Considering they bought up Gentek, maybe they are. And if that’s the case… Wouldn’t it make sense to befriend a monster who had a vendetta on a common enemy? Now it’s starting to really make sense, all of the pieces coming together in a way that puts Alex at ease. Desmond and his friends do have a reason to be so nice after all.

 

“Don’t think I won’t keep a gun in my pocket from now on, though,” Shaun quips.

 

“Honestly, you’d be an idiot to walk around in any part of this city unarmed,” the virus replies. “Go ahead, shoot me if I stick my hand in the wrong cereal box or something. I don’t care.”

 

“Cereal-? Oh, no.” Shaun waves his hands. “No, no, no, you’re not staying overnight. The last time you showed up, Bill and Desmond almost maimed each other.”

 

Alex creeps closer to Shaun, a dangerous look in his eye. “You want my help? You’d better be ready to save my ass as many times as I save yours. And I’m gonna need somewhere to crash. A _lot_ of times.”

 

Shaun actually looks a bit scared now, pulling at his collar and staring at random points around the room. _“Bill?”_ he calls out meekly. “Err, hold that thought…” The human hurries out of the room, tea in hand.

 

Of course, Alex was never one for staying put, so he follows Shaun down to the work station. Bill has his blazer off and is stroking his beard as he reads from his computer monitor. “Is there a problem?” He looks to Shaun first, then Alex, and as his eyes settle on the virus, his lips curve into a frown. “No, don’t answer that. The problem’s showed itself.”

 

“Bill, I know what you’re thinking,” Shaun sighs, “and honestly, I’m not too keen on sticking around him myself. But we’re trapped in Manhattan with him and Blackwatch either way, and… Well, odds are we won’t get a chance to befriend a group who’s got an active warrant on our heads.”

 

“No,” Bill responds, returning to his work without a second glance. “He worked for them. It could be another Cross situation all over again.”

 

Cross? Do these people know Robert Cross?

 

“As could your son,” Shaun fires back. “He was kidnapped by them. Certainly enough time for Abstergo to use their mind control voodoo on him.”

 

Bill’s eyebrow twitches. “And what will we do if you’re wrong, Shaun? This isn’t a question of whether we lose a bit of data, or a few soldiers. If Zeus can’t control himself, Abstergo wins. We’ve only seen him hold his fire for about three days now.” The elder leans forward in his seat, eyes boring into Shaun’s. “If we lose this whole war because you took Desmond’s side and tried to play nice with the common cold, _then_ what?”

 

Shaun breathes heavily through his nose and straightens his back. “And if we lose this war because we just sat here, did nothing at all, and let Blackwatch gun us down like sheep?”

 

Bill leans back, pressing the tips of his fingers together as he spends some time lost in thought. Alex feels like he should cut in, but he really doesn’t know what this is all about. Well, he has an idea, but that hardly makes up for all the missing pieces. “If you’re wrong,” Bill continues, “if this thing so much as _scratches_ one of us, if he consumes a single pinky finger off of someone on our side, I want your letter of resignation on my desk.” He hangs his head and sighs. “But… Other than that, I won’t stop you.”

 

“Thank you, Sir,” Shaun mumbles, glaring at Alex out of the corner of his eye. “I’ll tell the others we’re teaming up.”

 

“If we’re going to work together, then help me,” Alex demands, slamming his hands onto Bill’s desk. “The infected have my sister. I need to get her back.”

 

“We aren’t a charity,” Bill responds with a stern glare. “I’m not giving you anything for free just because you want to help. Get us out of the city, and then we’ll talk.”

 

“But Dana’s still _in_ the city!” Alex slams his hands down again with a snarl. He’s about to say something he’ll regret, until his cellphone rings. As he straightens his posture, Alex keeps his eyes locked with Bill’s, unwilling to make any move that seems like he’s going to stand down. The phone won’t wait forever. That’s the only reason why he shoves off the desk with a huff and turns away. Alex flicks open his phone with an angry jerk of his thumb. “Yes?”

 

“Hey, I think I found Dana,” Desmond’s voice announces.

 

“You found her?!”

 

Alex has almost left out the front door by the time Desmond responds. “Yeah, well, there’s a problem, though.”

 

The virus curses under his breath. “Name it. I’ll take care of it.”

 

“Well, uh, the place I found her in? It’s kinda…” Desmond pauses, and Alex can only assume he’s looking at wherever they’ve got her more closely. “Military grade protected? I don’t see a single window that’s unprotected.”

 

“Give me the address,” Alex demands.

 

“Already got it,” Shaun shouts off from the side. Alex turns around and stares in shock as Shaun prints something off his computer. Has he been listening? “It used to be military, repurposed by the infected. ‘Core Hive,’ they call it. Not much else is known… Just that they suspect it’s hiding something important. Big shields to cover big weaknesses and all that.”

 

Shaun hands the paper over to Alex, and the virus reads it over. It’s a military report… Shaun has access to the military’s database? Damn. “Hey, is that Shaun?” Desmond calls out. “Can you put me on speaker? There’s something I wanna ask him.”

 

“That makes one of us,” Alex grumbles into the receiver. Still, he complies and pulls the phone away from his ear, carefully hitting the speaker button. “Go for it.”

 

“Hey Shaun,” Desmond greets. “There’s a lot of military out here. You find anything about how they plan to deal with this place?”

 

“Well, I’ve got something, but not much.” Shaun is flipping through papers as he rubs his chin. “They’re trying to assault the Core Hive with some sort of tank with high powered artillery. Since they have more resources than us, I’d wager they know what they’re doing, but there’s always the chance that this tank of theirs won’t even scratch that armor.”

 

“It’s a chance I’m gonna have to take,” Alex decides. “When are they moving out?”

 

“A few hours from now, looks like. Lucky for us.” Shaun hands one of the papers to Alex. “If you leave right about now, you might be able to make it.”

 

Alex skims over the paper and nods. “I doubt they’ll be able to make it through to the Core Hive without losing the entire squad. The infected won’t be happy about a threat that big. Desmond, you lay low until I can get you out.”

 

“Get me out?” A static-laced snort puffs over the speaker. “Nah. I’m in this with you. If this helps put a stop to the infection, I want in.”

 

“Are you stupid?!” Alex growls. “You’re _human,_ you could fall victim to it and become a Walker. And then what?”

 

“I’ll be fine,” Desmond insists. “Trust me, okay? I can take care of myself, thanks.”

 

“I’m with Alex on this one.” Holy shit, when did Rebecca get here? She’s looking at her computer, holding a bowl of cereal as she chips in. Must’ve walked in from the kitchen. “If we don’t have you with us when we head back to Penn, we’re kinda screwed.”

 

“Well, it’s kinda too late to protect me from being exposed to the infection,” Desmond counters. “Besides, I feel like I’m gonna explode if I stay inside for a second longer.”

 

Alex rolls his eyes. “Not my fault if you die. Guess I’d better get going before you catch a stray bullet with your face.”

 

“If you’re gonna go,” Rebecca begins, setting her cereal down on the desk, “take this.” She hands Alex an earpiece. “It’s way better than carrying around that old dinosaur you’ve got there.”

 

The virus sneers at her as he snatches it up. “Great. More crap for me to lose.” With a frustrated slew of curses, Alex juggles all of the junk in his hands until he’s able to slip the earpiece in place. “I’m going before your friends bury me in something else.”

 

“Gotcha,” Desmond replies, and it pisses Alex off that his voice is echoing now that the earpiece is on. “See you in a few?”

 

“Sure,” Alex grumbles as he hangs up his phone. “Whatever.”

 

“You boys be safe now,” Shaun chides like he’s Alex’s goddamned mother. “Stay out of trouble, don’t go home with any strange men, you know the drill.”

 

“And get me some milk!” Rebecca calls. “I used the last of it.”

 

“Good luck finding any milk in Manhattan,” Alex huffs and folds the paper up so that it fits in his pocket.

 

“Would your luck be any better if I gave you ten dollars?” Rebecca asks.

 

Alex honestly considers it for a moment. “Probably not. I’ll just take it if I see it.”

 

“Right, because why not add petty milk theft to your long list of crimes?”

 

“Shut up, Shaun.”


End file.
